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Column: Time for ATF to Reorganize, Focus on Curtailing Gun Violence

Todd Jones

By Daily Journal

The gun lobby and its supporters, who have continuously demanded more enforcement against illegal firearms trafficking rather than new restrictions, have given an inch toward backing up their demands by permitting the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to have a permanent director for the first time in seven years.

The Senate approved B. Todd Jones to lead the agency. It is now up to the ATF to pull itself together under the long-denied central command and come up with an overall policy for cutting down criminal gun violence.

That won’t be easy, considering roadblocks such as the lack of universal background checks for firearms purchasers of all stripes and in every venue and Congress’ failure to limit the sale of high-powered military weapons or the number of bullets in a clip. But it is a start.